Body restraint device for bed patients



1963 J. J. BCDNAR ETAL 3,108,292

BODY RESTRAINT DEVICE FOR BED PATIENTS Filed Nov. 15, 1961 INVENTOR5 John J- Bod/7g!" BYSidfley Lew/Ls ,irf/rur A- Mara/1 United States Patent 3,108,292 BODY RESTRAINT DEVHIE FOR BED PATi'EN'iS John J. Bodnar, White Piains, and Sidney Lewis, Forest Hills, N.Y., assignors to Melrose Hospital Uniform (10., Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New Yorir Filed Nov. 13, 1%1, Ser. No. 151,934 1 Claim. (Ci. -417) This invention relates to restraint devices for bed patients, and more particularly to devices of this type which have waist bands or belts, and have restraining means secured to said bands and which are adapted to be fastened to the bed frame.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved body restraint device for confining a patient in bed without unduly restricting his or her movements, which device is characterized by extreme simplicity, involving relatively few parts or components arranged to be economically fabricated and assembled so as to effect a low manufacturing cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved body restraint device as above set forth, which provides a maximum degree of comfort to the patient, and enables wide latitude to be had as regards turning and shifting movements.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved body restraint device as outlined, which has a minimum amount of material and minimum number of components arranged for disposition under the patient and between the same and the bed, thereby reducing to the greatest possible extent the likelihood of chafing, marking of the skin, etc.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a novel patient restraining means as above outlined, wherein the sole connection between the band or belt and the bed frame comprises solely two slim and narrow restraining elements or straps, thereby avoiding massive or bulky members which require appreciable space and which tend to cause untidiness and discomfort.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference are used to designate like portions of the device throughout the several views, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the body restraint device being worn by a bed patient, showing the said device in its operative position and affixed to the bed frame, and showing the patient as lying on his stomach.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view like that of FIG. 1, but showing the patient lying on his back.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the restraint device per se, illustrating the relatively few and simple components thereof.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the restraint device in elevation, illustrating the positions of the components when the patient is lying on his back.

FIG. 5 is a View similm to that of FIG. 4, but showing the positions when the patient has rolled in one direction, to a stomach position.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIGS. 4 and 5 but showing the positions of the components when the patient has rolled in an opposite direction, to the stomach posi tion.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4-6, the simplified restraint device of the invention comprises essentially a waist band or belt portion 10 and a restraining means designated generally by the numeral 12 and constituted of two slim strap portions. The body engaging or belt portion 10 comprises a belt proper which is in the form of a fairly wide band 14 having two separate ends '16 and 18 and having an adjustable fastener device secured to the separate end portions of the band.

3,W,ZZ Patented Get. 29, 1963 ICC The adjustable fastener device comprises a short strap and a buckle means to effect lengthening or shortening of the strap, said strap being constituted of separable portions 20 and 22 which are detachably fastened to each other by a usual kind of buckle 24.

It will be noted from FIGS. 3-6 that, as provided by the invention, the end portions 16 and 18 of the band 14 normally overlap each other an appreciable extent when the band is in place, and that the remote ends of the short strap comprising the portions 20, 22 are affixed to the band at locations which are appreciably spaced from the ends thereof.

In accordance with the present invention, in conjunction with the body engaging means comprising the belt or band 10, 14 there is provided a pair of slim and narrow, elongate restraining elements 26 and 28 having tie portions 30 and 34 respectively. The restraining elements 26, 30 and 28, 34 are secured to the band 14 and adapted to be attached to a bed, and such elements constitute the entire and sole means of connecting the band and bed with each other. The said elements 26, 28 comprise long straps which are relatively narrow, having substantially the same width as the short strap comprising the two portions 20, 22, all of said straps being of appreciably less width than the band 14, and in fact being less than half as wide as the said band.

The straps 26, 28 have adjoining ends which are affixed lit) the back portion of the band 14 at spaced locations thereon, said straps being adapted to extend past each other and in opposite directions to the opposite sides of the bed when the band is placed with its back portion resting on the bed at the center, as is clearly illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. The tie portions 30, 34 of the restraining elements are provided with buckle means, and are adapted to form loops about the side rails of the bed, see FIGS. 13. The said tie portions thus constitute the free and attachable ends of the restraining straps or elements.

Buckle means 32 and 36 are provided where the tie portions 30, 34 connect respectively with the remainders of the straps or elements 26, 28, such buckle means enabling the effective lengths of the restraining elements to be varied and made either greater or less in order to adapt the device for beds of different sizes or widths.

Preferably, as seen in FIG. 3, the tie portions of the straps have lengths which are commensurate with the lengths of the remaining portions of the straps, whereby the buckles 32, 36 will be disposed normally at the top of the bed or mattress, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the tie portions 30, 34 are made into loops by means of the buckles 32, ss and extend around the side rails of the bed whereby the restraint device is securely held or aifixed to the bed frame. Despite such secure attachment, however, the patient wearing the device has great freedom of movement. As seen in FIG. 2, the patient is lying on his back. However, he may roll over in either direction, as permitted by the disposition and arrangement of the restraining elements 26, 28. In FIG. 5 the positions of the restraining elements are indicated, where the patient has rolled over in one direction and is lying on his stomach. FIG. 6 illustrates the positions of the elements when the patient has rolled over in the opposite direction and is lying on his stomach. The showing of FIG. 4 represents the positions of the elements or components when the patient is lying on his back, as also seen in FIG. 2.

From the foregoing it will now be appreciated that the novel restraint device as provided by the invention is characterized by relatively few parts of simple construction, the said parts being capable of economical fabrication and assembly whereby the entire cost of the device is held to a very low figure. All superfluous components or members have been eliminated whereby the device has a relatively small size or mass, and whereby the amount of material between the patients body and the bed is held to a minimum, obviating any vninkling of the components and the bed clothing, and reducing the likelihood of chafing or irritation of the skin. The restraint device may be easily and quickly put in place, it being merely required to lift the patient at the Waist, or else to slip the open band 14 below the shoulders and slide it downward to the location of the Waist. The restraint device is unobtrusive, and is normally not easily noticed when placed under the bed covering.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claim, and portions of the improvement may be used Without others.

We claim:

A body restraint device for confining a patient in bed Without unduly restricting movement, comprising a belt adapted to be secured about the patients waist, said belt comprising a Waist band free of any connecting shoulder straps and having two separate ends and an adjustable fastener device for securing together pontions of the band adjoining the separate ends, said end portions being adapted to overlap each other when the band is in place and the fastener device comprising two short straps and a buckle means connected to one of said short straps to effect lengthening or shortening of the straps, the remote ends of each of said short straps being attached to the respective end portions of the band at locations appreciably spaced from the ends thereof; only a pair of slim and narrow, elongate restraining elements secured to the said band and adapted to be attached to a bed, said elements constituting the entire and sole means of connecting the band and bed with each other and comprising long straps having a width less than half the width of said band and having adjoining ends atfixed to the back portion of the band at spaced locations thereon, said straps being laterally displaced and adapted to extend past each other and in opposite directions to the opposite sides of the bed when the band is placed with its back portion resting on the :bed at the center, said straps having tie portions provided with buckle means, said tie portions being adapted to form loops about side rails of the bed and constituting the free and attachable ends of the restraining straps, said tie portions being commensurate with the length of the remainder portion of the restraining elements whereby the buckles connected thereto are disposed normally at the top of the bed when in use.

Akers Dec. 4, 1906 Siebert July 22, 1924 

